BVB can win their ninth Bundesliga title next time out after a comfortable 3-1 victory over a VfL Bochum side who were relegated today following defeat at Signal Iduna Park.
Surman made four changes from the side that won at Schalke on Wednesday night: Taye Taiwo was back on the left of defence with Marcel Schmelzer sitting out a one match ban, with Neven Subotic, Dennis Praet and Jakub Blaszczykowski also starting. Marco Reus, Mats Hummels and Ivan Perisic all sat out the game with minor knocks.
Julian Schieber kept up his fine scoring form – eleven in seven – just after the half-hour, finding the bottom corner from Mario Götze’s square ball, despite the latter looking suspiciously offside. Replays show he was a step ahead of the Bochum defence, and the visitors rightly felt hard done by.
Five minutes before the break, Jakub Blaszczykowski was challenged heavily in the penalty area and wasn’t able to continue. Viktor Fischer came on as his replacement, with Götze switching to the right. Ninety seconds into first-half stoppage time and Mario Götze doubled the lead, slotting home after Sven Bender’s deflected shot was pushed into his path for an easy finish.
Two become three on the hour mark when Neven Subotic headed home a Dennis Praet corner. Bochum’s misery multiplied when a goal for Hannover meant that they’d be playing second division football next season unless things changed.
On 67 minutes, with their only shot on target all game, substitutes Yusuke Tasaka and Kevin Scheidhauer combined to pull a goal back. Taiwo lost possession on their right wing and Tasaka crossed for Scheidhauer to poke the ball home at the near post.
The rest of the game petered out somewhat, but with Dortmund and Bayern Munich winning it means that BVB can reclaim the title from Bayern on their own ground in a fortnight’s time. Next up though, the visit of Serie A leaders AC Milan on Wednesday.
BORUSSIA DORTMUND 3-1 VFL BOCHUM
Schieber 33 Scheidhauer 67
Götze 45
Subotic 59
Att: 80,720
Bundesliga, Signal Iduna Park. Rain, 13°C. Ref: T.Welz
BORUSSIA DORTMUND | VFL BOCHUM 1. R.Weidenfeller (c) 7.0 | 1. Andreas Luthe (c) 5.9 2. Andreas Beck 7.0 | 16. Ronny Philp 7.0 4. Neven Subotic [*] 8.7 | 26. Jonas Acquistapace 6.8 15. Felipe Santana 7.7 | 15. Hólmar Eyjólfsson 6.1³ 14. Taye Taiwo 7.0 | 2. Mounir Chaftar 5.5 6. Sven Bender 7.9 | 5. Christoph Dabrowski 7.0 26. Dennis Praet 7.3² | 21. Alexander Riemann 6.9² 30. Jakub Blaszczykowski 6.2¹ | 20. Faton Toski 6.0 10. Mario Götze 7.9³ | 18. Leon Goretzka [Y] 6.8 9. Robert Lewandowski 7.0 | 22. Mirkan Aydin [Y] 6.7 23. Julian Schieber 7.6 | 11. Zlatko Dedic 6.6¹ ------------------------------- ------------------------------- 20. Mitchell Langerak . | 24. Carsten Rothenbach . 5. Mats Hummels . | 4. Marcel Maltritz 7.0³ 7. Viktor Fischer 6.7¹ | 8. Yusuke Tasaka 7.0¹ 18. Moritz Leitner n/a² | 13. Alexander Madlung . 19. Kevin Großkreutz n/a³ | 23. Kevin Scheidhauer 7.3² 22. Julian Koch . | 24. Carsten Rothenbach . 24. Ivan Perisic . | 27. Florian Brügmann .
Match report by @realtimeFM:
“I can’t see Bochum picking up a win from anywhere, let alone at table-topping Dortmund.” -Paul Weiß, German Football Review.
[KO] Welcome to Signal Iduna Park in Dortmund! Top hosts bottom here, one of eight Bundesliga matches all kicking-off at the same time. Four changes for BVB: Taye Taiwo is in for the suspended Marcel Schmelzer, Jakub Blaszczkowski replaces the injured Marco Reus, and Dennis Praet and Neven Subotic return to the starting XI.
[KO] 225th career league appearance for Robert Lewandowski here today. He’s on 49 Bundesliga goals for Dortmund, but hasn’t found the net in nearly nine hours of football.
[00] VfL Bochum kick-off. If they lose today and Hannover avoid defeat against Nürnberg then they’ll be relegated back to 2-Bundesliga after one season. Only teams not in action today are Köln and Düsseldorf who played each other on Thursday night.
[05] Julian Schieber has the first shot of the match, but is off-target from 25 yards out.
[07] Robert Lewandowski lobs the ball into the box from the right-hand side where Julian Schieber heads past Andreas Luthe, but he’s penalised for the challenge on the ‘keeper. Boos ring out from the Yellow Wall at the decision.
[08] Goals, goals, goals! Fürth have stunned Bayern Munich with a goal from Fall to put them 1-0 up. Elsewhere, Mönchengladbach are two goals up away at Leverkusen through Hegeler and De Jong.
[12] As Gray Surman is encouraging his Dortmund side to play wider, Dennis Praet is clattered by Leon Goretska. Great chance for the Belgian to get the ball into the box from this free-kick… which is headed away and cleared.
[12] Alexander Riemann whips a cross in from the right for Bochum on the counter, Weidenfeller misses it completely and Felipe Santana gets back to clear it off the line and away for a corner before Faton Toski can tap it home at the far post.
[14] Riemann wins a second corner for the visitors with his run down the right. Taye Taiwo has looked unconvincing at left-back for Dortmund of late. Expect to see some transfer action on that front in the summer.
[15] Tobias Welz cautions Leon Goretzka after he clatters through Sven Bender.
[16] Zlatko Dedic is almost played clean through, but Andreas Beck makes a great sliding challenge to get the ball, just as the rain starts to fall here in Dortmund.
[18] Jonas Acquistapace makes a fantastic challenge on Julian Schieber as the Dortmund man looks to beat hims with pace. He’s had a good start to the game here, made a similar tackle to halt Dennis Praet a moment ago too.
[21] Jakub Blaszczykowski does brilliantly to keep the ball in on the right-hand side, immediately squaring it for Robert Lewandowski. He smashes a cross in for an unmarked Julian Schieber who hits the crossbar from twelve yards out, but the flag goes up immediately.
[24] Great Dortmund counter attack after a Bochum move breaks down at the far end. They win a corner when Luthe is at full stretch to tip a Schieber shot over the top when he hits one from the edge of the box.
[24] Neven Subotic gets on the end of the corner but his header skims the top of the bar.
[25] Bayern have equalised at Fürth through the league’s top-scorer, Mario Mandzukic (expect a goal from Julian Schieber here shortly!). Fürth have already used two subs as Prib and Geis have gone off injured.
[26] So close for Schieber! He dances round Chaftar and only has Luthe to beat, but the ‘keeper’s outstretched foot denies the Dortmund man. Heavy pressure from Dortmund.
[30] Half-hour gone here, possession even but Dortmund just edging it on chances created. Need the final ball into the box to improve though. Goalless in six of the eight matches in Bundesliga today.
[31] Dedic is on a great run, but hits the shot too early as Santana closes him down. Weidenfeller isn’t in a great position but is relieved to see the shot skip past the far post off the wet turf.
[33] 1-0 DORTMUND! Julian Schieber bags his 33rd goal of the season when he converts a low cross from Mario Götze, eight yards out. Taye Taiwo picked out Götze, who looked offside at first-glance, who simply squared for Schieber who found the bottom corner. 34th goal of the season, and goals in each of the last five for him.
[33] Bochum may very well have a case here. Götze a stride ahead of Eyjolfsson when Taiwo plays it. Still, the 86th goal that Bochum have conceded in 31 league matches this season. Nowhere near good enough on the day that may see them go down.
[35] Freiburg are in front at Hamburg. Goal from Freis.
[37] Lewandowski has a simple tap-in at the far post, but this time the flag IS up for Götze on the left as he crosses it in.
[38] Chaffar launches into a firm challenge on Blasczykowski inside the penalty box. Takes the ball, takes the man, and that looks a bad one for Blaszczykowski.
[40] Substitution¹ for Dortmund: Viktor Fischer replaces Blaszczykowski (6.3). Götze switches to the right, Fischer on the left.
[41] Viktor Fischer is played through by Praet but his first touch of the game is too heavy and a defender gets a challenge in to give Dortmund a corner. Softer touch and Fischer would have had a clear shot at goal, ten yards out.
[42] Arjen Robben has put Bayern in front at Fürth.
[44] Riemann wins a free-kick right by the corner flag after Taiwo’s clumsy challenge. The delivery gets deflected behind for a corner.
[45] Scuffle in the box as the corner is whipped in. Praet is down, Santana and Aydin square up to each other. What’s the decision here?
[45] Free kick to Dortmund, players spoken to. Two additional minutes.
[45+2] 2-0 DORTMUND! Julian Schieber holds the ball up well just outside the box, looking to create a shooting chance. He plays it back for Sven Bender whose shot from 20 yards is deflected but saved by the foot of the ‘keeper, but Mario Götze has a simple finish from the rebound. That’s his 25th Bundesliga goal for Dortmund.
[45+2] 46:28 on the clock as that hit the back of the net. Great time for Dortmund to score, that may have killed off Bochum today.
HALF-TIME: Borussia Dortmund 2-0 VfL Bochum (Bundesliga)
[46] No changes at the break, and off we go! We can tell you that it’s a full house here at Signal Iduna Park today, 80,720. Sixth sell-out of the season for Dortmund, from 24 competitive matches.
[47] Schieber runs the ball into the box but has his shot charged down. The ball runs loose for Dennis Praet who is up-ended by Dabrowski. Nothing given by the referee though. Appeals fall on deaf ears and play is waved on.
[48] BVB have a free-kick now though, Schieber tripped by Eyjolfsson who escapes a booking. Taiwo is a whisker wide when he smashes it round the wall. Oh, referee has given a corner. Must have taken a touch off the wall.
[50] Ivanschitz has scored from the spot for Mainz, who lead Schalke 1-0. That’s a massive game in the race for third. Sides level on points going into today’s matches.
[52] Zlatko Dedic thinks he has scored when he bundles the ball home at the far post, but he was climbing all over Neven Subotic and Tobias Welz rightly disallows the goal.
[53] Praet goes close with a shot from 20 yards but it was always rising.
[58] Mirkan Aydin leaves a foot in on Taye Taiwo and gets a caution for his troubles. Dortmund win a corner shortly after.
[59] 3-0 DORTMUND! Dennis Praet clips it into the near post where Neven Subotic’s header beats the man on the line.
[60] Worse news for Bochum as Sobiech has put Hannover 1-0 up at home to Nürnberg. Bochum will be relegated in half an hour’s time if Nürnberg don’t win today. There’s also been a goal between Frankfirt and Stuttgart where Voronin has put the hosts one in front.
[62] Double change¹² for Bochum: Kevin Scheidhauer and Yusuke Tasaka are on for Riemann (6.9) and Dedic (6.6).
[67] GOAL FOR BOCHUM! Dortmund just can’t keep a clean sheet lately, and this time Taiwo is to blame. He wins the ball on the left from Tasaka, but a poor touch gifts it straight back. He crosses it towards the near post where Kevin Scheidhauer deftly slots it home. Two subs combining well there.
[68] Leon Goretska is a lucky man to escape a second booking after he trips Praet who was heading towards the box.
[70] Mainz are 2-0 up at home to Schalke. Caligiuri scoring the second, two minutes after Jermaine Jones was sent-off for the visitors. In Hamburg, Freiburg are now 2-0 to the good, with Mujdza scoring their second.
[72] Sami Khedira has scored a third for Bayern, who have come from behind to lead 3-1 at Fürth.
[73] Third change for Bochum³: Marcel Maltritz is on for Ejyolfsson (6.1). Dortmund look like they’re preparing a double change soon.
[74] Corner for Bochum, Santana challenges Schiedhauer and the ball goes behind.
[75] Double change for Dortmund²³: Moritz Leitner and Kevin Großkreutz are on for Praet (7.3) and Götze (7.9).
[76] Alaba converts from the spot for Bayern who are now 4-1 up at Fürth. Igor de Camargo has surely sealed a win for Mönchengladbach who lead 3-0 at Leverkusen.
[79] Fall has made it 4-2 at Fürth.
[80] Ten minutes to play here. Bochum need two goals to save themselves. Either two of their own, or two for Nürnberg who trail at Hannover. This is how the table currently stands. Teams play 34 matches.
[86] Game somewhat petering out here. Dortmund happy knocking the ball around, Bochum not offering much going forwards.
[88] David Alaba has his second of the game for Bayern. They now lead 5-2 at Fürth who’ll be six points from safety with just three games to go.
[90] Two additional minutes.
FULL-TIME: Borussia Dortmund 3-1 VfL Bochum (Bundesliga)
It’s all over here where Dortmund have run-out comfortable winners over a Bochum side who are now confirmed as playing second-tier football next season. BVB will be waiting on the scans of Blaszczykowski’s injury after a heavy first-half challenge. With the team playing so well it seems mean to moan that BVB once again failed to keep a clean sheet, but Surman will find it especially galing that Bochum scored with their only shot on target.
Next up for Dortmund are the two ties against AC Milan in the Champions League semi-final, before a trip to the Allianz Arena where a win over Bayern Munich will see them win the league.
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